Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I love Kristan at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.  I'm sure I've mentioned this once or twice, or like fifty times.  :)  She's sparkly, loves pink, makes wonderful treats like these and these, and she's HIL-AR-IOUS!!  I'm so glad she is one of the first blogs I started when I entered blog-land.

Well, Kristan has another blog with her bloggy bestie Shelly from Cookies & Cups.  It's called That's What She We Said!  There's cocktails, trashy TV show episode recaps, Whatta Man Monday {you heard me, it's AWESOME!}, weekly meal plans and much much more.  This past week I wanted to eat everything on the girl's meal plan list. 

I read their meal plan every week and even though Mike is a little vary about trying new food, but I'm making him.  :)  So I grabbed The Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake before Thanksgiving and busted it out this week.  It was a hit and I'm happy to share this "Not so Italian Lasagna" (as Mike called it) with you.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1  1/4 pound ground chuck
1 - 15oz can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
8oz (by weight) egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1  1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions    {I used 1/4 teaspoon onion powder instead}
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown ground chuck in a large skillet.  Drain fat, and then add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.  Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Cook egg noddle until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, combine sour cram and cottage cheese.  Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper (if using onion powder add it now).  Add to noodles and stir.  Add green onions and stir.
5. To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish.  Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar.  Repeat with noodle, meat, then a final layer of cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.
6. Serve with crusty French bread.   <--Brilliant idea!